Life Portrait of Salahuddin Al Ayyubi

 

SALAHUDDIN AL AYYUBI

Salahuddin al Ayyubi lived in the 6th century Hijriyah, Salahuddin Al Ayyubi's real name was Yusuf, and he became sultan at the age of 22, and he was the first sultan in the Al Ayyubid dynasty, leading Islam for 25 years.

After 88 years of being ruled by crusaders, the city of Jerusalem, Palestine has finally fallen back into the lap of Muslims. Right on October 2, 1187 or after three months of struggling in the battle of Hattin, the Islamic army led by Salahudin Al-Ayubi succeeded in conquering and liberating the holy city from tyranny and savagery.

The conquest of Jerusalem by the Islamic forces under Saladin's command was very different, when the Crusaders occupied Jerusalem in 1099. Saladin kept his promise. The general and warlord of the Islamic army conquered Jerusalem according to the pure and highest teachings of Islam. There was no revenge and massacre, the conquest took place 'smoothly' as taught by the Koran.

In fact, when 40 thousand soldiers of the Crusade led by Peter The Hermit invaded the holy land of Palestine, they came with blind religious fanaticism. In order to evoke a sense of fanaticism, according to the Western writer Hallam, 'every way and way is taken'. It doesn't matter if it's savage or not, all are cut to pieces. Jerusalem is flooded with blood and human corpses.

All of this is very different from when Saladin came to conquer Jerusalem.

Karen Armstrong in her book Holy War describes, when Salahudin and the Islamic troops liberated Palestine, not a single Christian was killed. There is nothing wrong with confiscation of property.

''The ransom amount was deliberately very low. Salahuddin wept bitterly because of the pathetic situation caused by the families being torn apart. And he also freed many of them, according to the call of the Koran,''said Armstrong.

Salahudin's justice and statesmanship also amazed the Christians living in Jerusalem at that time. An old Christian also asked Salahudin. "Why don't you retaliate against your enemies?"

Salahudin replied, "Islam is not a vengeful religion, it even prevents people from doing things outside of humanity. Islam commands its people to keep their promises, forgive the mistakes of others who apologize and forget the cruelty of the enemy when they are in power, even though when the enemy is in power, Muslims are oppressed."

Hearing that answer, the old man's heart trembled. Then he said, "How beautiful is your religion, sir! So at the end of my life, how can I embrace your religion?'' Salahudin also said, ''Say the two sentences of the shahadah.''

Salahudin's moral nobility is also reflected in the film Kingdom of Heaven directed by Ridley Scott, when he picks up a fallen cross that lies on the ground and puts it back in its place.